CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans) wants Orphan Sunday to be a local effort, led by individual churches. They hope to see each church discover the best way for their congregation to get involved with addressing the needs of children in foster care and orphanages both here in the U.S. and abroad. Orphan Sunday events vary, for example, events in previous years included special messages on God’s heart for the orphan, prayer gatherings, fasts and simple meals, student-led fundraisers, foster family recruiting and live concerts.

A story found on the testimonials page of the Orphan Sunday website details how one church was transformed by its participation in Orphan Sunday.

“Clay and Tami joined Emmaus Church in Redlands, CA along with their two daughters adopted from foster care. Tami approached her pastor about doing an Orphan Sunday event and he was very supportive of the idea. The last few years Orphan Sunday at Emmaus Church has involved a message about “God’s Heart for the Orphan” and a panel of adoptive and foster parents. Emmaus Church encourages everyone to participate. Clay relayed a story of a young single man who doesn’t feel he’s in a place to adopt but knows he has a part to play in supporting families who do.

Orphan Sunday at Emmaus is one of the largest attendance Sundays of the year. It has grown the church as well, from 2 adopted children in Clay and Tami’s family to over 20 children who have been placed in families from U.S. foster care and international adoption. They even joke that there was a couple who didn’t come on Orphan Sunday because they knew if they did, they’d be signing adoption papers. Turns out they didn’t attend but months later adoption papers were signed!

What’s encouraging about Emmaus Church is the ethos of “everyone has a part to play.” Not everyone is called to adopt and there are numerous ways to support Christian orphan care, from respite care to preparing meals, and mentoring a child in foster care to financially supporting an orphan care ministry or organization.”

Agape Villages Foster Family Agency would love to partner with any church or other faith-based community that would like to do an Orphan Sunday with their congregation. We can have someone come and speak about foster care in your church’s community, the need for foster families, and ways to get involved. If you belong to a church or other faith community, and would like to participate in Orphan Sunday, please contact Katy Partan at kpartan@agapevillages.org.

“Orphan Sunday engages God’s people to put our FAITH into ACTION…as we unite to advocate for the most vulnerable.”

– ANDY LEHMAN, Vice President, Lifesong for Orphans

CAFO has put together a lot of great materials that offer ideas and ways to get involved. Click HERE to view their resources and suggestions for involvement in the foster care system.

A common question people ask is why they should choose Agape Villages, i.e., what makes us different? What can we offer? What support do we provide?

Agape’s support for families begins the moment you start the application process. Our staff will walk you through each step and provide personal, one-on-one follow-up as needed. 

Once you are certified and have a child placed with you, the support continues through a number of services and programs:

• Weekly in-home visits by an Agape social worker
• Monthly Foster Parent/Resource Family support group meetings
• Specialized trainings based on the individual child placed in your home (if needed)
• Clothing Closets which offer a broad selection of items including clothes, toys, strollers, and other supplies (thank you to Sleep Train/Mattress Firm and other generous donors for stocking our closets!)

Additionally, Agape prioritizes our children and we strive to ensure that they get to experience childhood as it should be – a time of fun, learning, nurturing, and enrichment. Agape Villages offers several unique programs for our children. Our Enrichment Program offers families reimbursement (up to $50 per month) for various extracurricular activities for our foster kids. Often, foster children are left out of things like team sports, music lessons, and other opportunities simply due to lack of funding. We do not want our kids to miss those opportunities.

For girls ages 9-21, we offer our Teen Girls Group, a support group that meets bi-monthly and engages our pre-adolescent and teen girls in a variety of activities. It provides a safe space for the girls and lets them connect with others who have gone through similar experiences.

Our Transitional Living Skills program is a semester-long curriculum for teens 15-21 designed to prepare them for independent living after leaving foster care. We cover essential knowledge including interview skills, financial literacy, college applications and financial aid, and more.

Finally, to help cultivate a sense of community and fellowship, we offer two annual events for all foster families and their children. One is the Annual Family Picnic at the beginning of summer, which includes food, entertainment, and music. The other is the Annual Christmas Party which includes games, food, and presents for every child.

This post is merely a brief summary of the support Agape Villages provides, but we hope it gives you some insight as to what you can expect as a foster family with our organization. We strive to provide the very best programs and services to both our families and our children, with the ultimate goal of having every child in a safe, loving and stable home. Please contact us if you would like to learn more, at 800-566-2225.